But, even if you have received the news that your cholesterol is too high, the good news is that there are proven ways to bring it down to safe levels.

Some people find help from a popular class of drugs, statins, that lower cholesterol and reduce systemic inflammation. In many people, these drugs are extremely effective in lowering cholesterol levels. But statins may have side effects, including muscle pain, liver damage, skin rash, higher blood sugar or even memory loss or confusion, this Mayo Clinic article says. So, many people prefer to first try changing their diet and lifestyle in ways that can naturally bring down their cholesterol levels. Follows are nine ways to lower cholesterol naturally. Before trying these nondrug approaches, be sure to talk with your doctor and ask him or her to help you set goals:

1. Eat much better

Eat a diet that built mostly around fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), whole grains, fatty fish and sources of healthy fats. You can score your own heart disease risk with this American Heart Association tool.

3. Lose weight

4. Cut out trans fat

Eating fat helps us absorb vitamins and minerals, build cells and boost energy. Some fats are healthy but others are dangerous. Trans fat (also called “partially hydrogenated oil”), an industrially made fat, is the worst. Even small amounts raise “bad” LDL cholesterol and are linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, systemic inflammation and insulin resistance, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes.

7. Add whey protein to your diet

8. Boost your soluble fiber intake

Eating fibrous foods helps lower LDL and total cholesterol. It may carry cholesterol out of the body before it can be absorbed. Increase your soluble fiber, the type that absorbs water in digestion, by eating fruit, vegetables, legumes (dry beans, lentils and peas), barley, oats and oat bran. (Insoluble fiber from whole grain bread, pasta and crackers, bulgur wheat, stone ground corn meal and whole cereals and rice is important, too but has less effect on cholesterol.) Shoot for 25 to 30 grams of total fiber daily from food, not supplements, says the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Two more (controversial) recommendations

Two common practices, refraining from eating cholesterol-containing foods and adding a nutritional supplement called red yeast rice, are subjects of debate. Here’s why:

Foods high in cholesterol: to eat or not?

In addition to the fats that cause our bodies to make cholesterol, some foods — particularly shellfish, egg yolks and organ meats like liver, kidneys and brains — contain a lot of cholesterol. Avoiding them can help reduce cholesterol levels.

However, research, including this Finnish study from the Feb. 10, 2016 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, finds little to no connection between heart disease and eating moderate amounts of cholesterol-containing foods, even among people with a gene that raises the risk of heart disease. Nevertheless, eating these foods can definitely raise your cholesterol numbers.

Red yeast rice: The jury is out

Red yeast rice is a Chinese medicine sold by drug stores and natural food suppliers. It’s made by fermenting a yeast over red rice. Several studies have indicated that red yeast rice can lower LDL cholesterol but research is scanty. Also, because alternative medicines aren’t subject to government testing, it’s hard to ensure a product’s uniformity, purity, truth in labeling or safety.

There are additional reasons for caution: Red rice yeast can affect liver function. The Mayo Clinic lists potential side effects. Avoid it if you have liver, thyroid, kidney or musculoskeletal disorders, are at higher risk for cancer, consume more than two alcoholic drinks a day, have a serious infection or have had an organ transplant, says The University of Maryland Medical Center.